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CD review from CDBaby.com Reviewer: JB
Got the disc just the other day and was simply blown away by what these three guys have put together. Henry is the funk miester on his drums (wonder which of his 1,000 sets he used). Guitar and bass simply make you feel good and George's voice came out sweet as molasses drippin off a buttermilk bisquit. I've heard the band live several times, and it is well worth getting to their show to get a big dose of SLIDE, slide, and more slide along with great finger riffs too from some classics to their own originals

CD Review by Wade Wellborn

CATFISH FLATS - DOWN AT THE FLATS CD

Catfish Flats plays the kind of music that makes you slide down a little lower in your car seat, lean toward the middle with a half-scowl, half-grin on your face and peer over the steering wheel while squinting your eyes and cocking your head to the side.  Their blues can only be described as “nasty” in the best sense and “raw” in a better sense.  Be forewarned, you may, unknowingly, find yourself heading toward Pirate’s Cove, the Legion on the Bay or some other beer-soaked joint after the first slide lick from George Eberlein’s guitar.  Down at the Flats is the perfect cd for when you’ve recovered, mid-week, from last weekend’s hangover and are wondering what to do for the upcoming weekend. 

Down at the Flats is the first release from local power trio, Catfish Flats and was recorded in studios in Mobile and Foley.  Their style of music is southern in scope, firmly rooted in Southern Alabama, but George’s songs are not just regional ditties - they point directly to the heart of Americana.  Blues is the starting and focal point of this music but blues as a celebration, not as pessimism.  The real value here is in the details, details that make it easy to imagine the band playing live, loving the job and feeding off of the audience.

“Slide on By” kicks things off right as an upbeat rocker with the  trademark slide work that weaves it’s way throughout the cd.  The song is complemented by outstanding backing vocals from bass player, Rick Long.  “Tryin’ to Tell You Baby” gets down ‘n dirty as a slow groove brings to mind another power trio, ZZ Top.  George lets his National Steel guitar soar in the acoustic burner, “Airport Blues” and Henry Jolley’s drumming funks things up in “Livin’ With Regrets.”  Eberlein shows his true colors when offering his thoughts on hardship: “there’s a time to remember, there’s a time to forget / you gotta get on with your life, stop livin’ with regret.”  “The Fever” takes us to Rhythm ’n Blooze church with its piano and organ testifying to the converted.  Up next is the band’s theme song, “South of Highway 31”; in all it’s blues stomping glory it’s a crowd favorite for sure: “that‘s the way it gets done / down south of Highway 31.”  The instrumental “Mayday Stomp” highlights the National Steel guitar while “Cajun Rain” stands out for its radio-friendly chorus.  “Remembering Duane” is a fitting homage to Duane Allman with it’s melancholy feel augmented by finger-picked guitar and slide.  “Doing Me Wrong” goes back to R&B territory with a tale of heartache.  “Down at the Flats” begins light-heartedly with a nice swing groove before side-stepping to a bent-string, feedback-flecked, Hendrix space jam that would sound at home on many late 60‘s psychedelic albums.

George Eberlein uses familiar characters to chronicle Lower Alabama life.  The stereotypical southern everyman or everywoman appears frequently: “Jimmy spent his days angry sittin’ around thinkin’ / wonderin’ what could have been.”  Although he gives these characters names, they are people that we can relate to, some that we know all too well, and trust that they will stay the same.  These universal characters transcend time; they have the same basic troubles in 2006 as their forbearers did in 1976.  The treat here is the feeling that everything is fine, nothing much has changed and music makes it all the more better. 

Down at the Flats succeeds because the music does the talking.  The listener can’t hide from the toe-tapping good time contained herein.  The excellent musicianship and outstanding hooks will take you back to great memories of all that makes the south and southern rock n’ blues great.  The cd’s packaging is top notch and the recording is quality from start to finish.  Take Down at the Flats with you for a swimming trip to the “Cold Hole”, a drive down the coast, fishing off the pier or to keep you warm while camping; it’s an excellent companion and one that will satisfy all of your friends, or at least the ones that matter.  Check ‘em out at www.catfishflats.com.
Wade Wellborn
Dr. Music Records
9 N Church St
Fairhope, AL 36532

*webmaster's note
Here is an article about the band that appeared in the July 22, 2005 issue of the Gulf Shores, AL newspaper, The Pelican. It was written by my dear friend Mick Graves after he attended our show on July 8. Mick passed away July 9, 2006.

Catfish Flats Rock the Undertow
George Eberlein led into the Bruce Springsteen classic “The Fever,” and the crowd at the Undertow in Gulf Shores went wild. Eberlein, who has been playing in the Islands since forever, has been with bands such as Frontrunner, The Andy Smith Band, Alabama Dirt Band, and dueting with the notorious Greg Memphis.
Catfish Flats is George’s latest incarnation. George, percussionist Henry Jolley, and bassist Rick Long have joined together to form a great blues band. Jolley has a great drum kit—a clear Ludwig limited edition set that lets you see each strike of his drumsticks. Long plays a Fender bass with a style reminiscent of Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers—he runs up and down the frets like a lead guitarist. Eberlein—well, George is also known as Guitar George—as in the song “Sultans of Swing” by Dire Straits. “Check out guitar George/He knows all the chords/When it’s strictly rhythm he doesn’t want to make it cry or sing.” George does a lot of bottlenecking. Bottlenecking is a technique where you fret the strings with what looks like the neck of a bottle, and it gives a very different sound to the notes. If you ranked bottlenecking according to difficulty, it would rank right up there with Jimmy Page’s bowing the strings or finger-picking classical guitar. “I listen to a lot of David Lindley,” said Eberlein. Lindley is known for his lap-steel guitar work, which is par excellance. Lindley also did a falsetto on Jackson Browne’s “Running on Empty”, which sucé. Eberlein, to his credit, does not try to sing like Lindley Jolley and Long take ‘rides’—solos where they show off their talents. Long took riffs on the bass that were kinda astonishing in fingering. Jolley went off on a drum solo that used every bit of his kit—but he didn’t bang hell out of them.
Catfish Flats is in the process of producing an album, and hope to have the disc done in six months. George said, “It’s going to be all original. Songs like “South of Highway 31”, “Airport Blues.” Eberlein has produced for other bands, including local favorite Brent Burns. The Undertow was packed—and this was after an evacuation order. College kids, local businessmen, even hippie freaks were there. Two very attractive (and busty—not that I was staring at their busts) blondes got up and danced a—tango? Mambo? Lambada? Whatever it was, it was a forbidden dance. I haven’t seen that kind of dancing outside of Sammy’s—which makes me wonder if that’s where they were from. The Undertow serves coffee—and other adult libations. You can drink yourself either wide-awake or fast asleep there. There’s a good selection of brewed beverages, at any rate. After a few brewed beverages, someone shouted, “Any chance of you guys [the band] playing “Free Bird” or “Brown-Eyed Girl’? Eberlein responded, “Actually we have put both of them into a medley which is climaxed by a rousing version of "Do You Feel Like We Do" and "Margaritaville". But as I'm sure you already know, the only downside is that this must be a set closer. I mean where can you go from there? Anything else would be anticlimactic.” If you want to know how to catch Catfish Flats at their next gig, you can log on and go to www.catfishflats.com. Nice thing about the site is, Eberlein designed it.

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